Elastic fabric.



PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

No. YWJM.

J. Lu GILSON.

ELASTIC FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED H13. 28. 1901.

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munzw s cmwm on Pm lTll llll SA ES JAMES L. GlLSON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HOi VARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON. h IASSAOHUSETTS, A OORPO- RATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed February 28, 1901. Serial No. 9,259.

To fI/ZZ 7071/0771 if mm/y concern:

Be it known that l, Jlurns L. Gibson, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at lrloston, county of Suffolk, and State of h'lassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elastic Fabrics, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in elastic fabrics of that class in which an inelastic strip, usually of silk, and an elastic material are combined or secured together in such way that the inelastic strip is gathered or shirred on the elastic material, so as to present an ornamental appearance, rendering the fabric suitable for use in the manufacture of garters and other articles of wearing-aw parel where such ornamental appearance is necessary. Heretofore in the manufacture of fabrics of this class the elastic material has been combined with the inelastic strip either by weaving threads of such elastic material into the inelastic strip during the process of weaving the latter or by sewing such elastic material in the form of strips or otherwise to the inelastic strip by a row of stitches extending longitudinally of the elastic strip.

The combining together of the inelastic strip and elastic material by weaving threads of the latter into the former is objectionable, because during the weaving operation there is great liability of breakage of such threads, and even where one such thread is broken the appearance of the fabric, and sometimes its usefulness, is in a measure destroyed. The combining together of the inelastic strip and elastic material in this way or by stitching strips of the latter longitudinally to the inelastic strip is also objectionable because the two materials when thus united are inseriiarable for all practical purposes, the result being that should either material by wear or otherwise become broken or otherwise damaged the fabric as a whole, so far as either usefulness or ornamental effect is concerned, becomes worthless, as the portion of the fabric thus damaged cannot readily be separated and removed and another substituted in its place. This is a cliliiculty of considerable importance, particularly when, as is usually the case, the inelastic material is composed of silk or other expenslve material.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome these dil'liculties and to provide a fabric of the class described in which the two materials are combined in such way as to not only reduce the cost of mamifacturing the same but avoid all liability of damage to either of the materials during such manufacture and also permit the removal readily from the fabric of a damaged portion and the substitution of another. piece of material therefor without in any way mar-ring the appearance or affecting the usefulness of the fabric.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a fabric embodyil'ig the pres ent invention, and Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the same.

Referring to said drawings, (t represents the strip of inelastic materiahand b the elastic material, which is also in the form of a strip. The strip a,which,as before stated,in fabrics of the class shown is usually of silk, is provided with a pocket 0, extending longitudinally of the strip for receiving the elastic strip 6. The latter instead of being secured to the strip a by a row of longitudinal stitches, as such strips have heretofore been secured to inelastic strips, is either entirely free from attachment to said strips or secured thereto only at it's opposite ends or at intervals, according to the length of the strip, being shown as secured to the strip at the ends by transverse lines of stitchingrjl, the portions of the strip 2') between these two lines of stitching beingleft free and unconnected to the strip (1.. By reason of the provision of this pocket in the strip a and the disconnection of the strip 6 from the strip 1/. the two members of the faln'ic -"vi. e. the strips 1,! 7) may be manufactured separately and independently of each other and the strip 1) then inserted in the pocket 0, the complete fabric being usually made in short lengths and then united to form fabric of such length as desired. Should one member during wear become worn, so as to become useless or unsightly, it may readily be disconnected from the other and another substituted for it. The strip 7) is of less length than the strip It, and the latter is gathered or shirred, as shown, so as to present an ornamental appearance. The ornamental appearance of the fabric enhanced by making the pocket 0 of less width than the strip (1 so as to provide the fabric with a loose ruffled edge or edges .lreferably the pocket 0 is formed integrally with the strip a, the middle or body portion of which is woven in two plies, as shown, for the purpose of providing such pocket.

V hat I claim is- 1. An elastic fabric comprising an inelastic strip provided with a longitudinal pocket,and an elastic strip in said pocket and connected at intervals to said strip with its intermediate portions unconnected thereto. substantially as described.

2. An elastic fabric comprising an inelastic strip provided with a longitudinal pocket integral with said strip, and an elastic strip in said pocket and connected at intervals to said strip with its intermediate portions unconnected thereto, substantially as described.

3. An elastic fabric comprising an inelastic strip provided with a longitudinal pocket inwitnesses.

JAMES L. GILSON. Witnesses:

FRANK JAMES, KATHARYN C. GEE. 

